The Royal Society is calling for A-levels to be overhauled to tackle the declining numbers of teenagers studying sciences.

Across the UK, just 17% of 16- to 18-year-olds took one or more science A-levels in 2009, a report by the society says, and British universities produce fewer than 10,000 science graduates each year.

It calls for a broader qualification that would give more teenagers the chance to pursue science and maths as part of a wider course of study.

An increasing number of schools do not enter any candidates at all in physics or maths, the report finds. In 2009, nearly 500 schools and colleges in England did not enter a single candidate in A-level physics, the least popular of the three core sciences. The picture is different in Scotland, where 90% of schools and colleges put candidates forward for physics.

The report finds a sharp fall in the number of selective schools putting forward candidates for physics. In 2005, every private school in the UK had physics candidates, but in 2009 that had dropped to 89%. "What makes this trend especially worrying is that historically the independent sector has been the major provider of physics undergraduates to many of the UK's leading universities," the report says.

A decrease in the proportion of further education colleges offering physics may reflect the economic pressures they are under not to offer classes for small numbers of students.

The report suggests that the decline in provision is due to the difficulty of finding new physics specialists to replace teachers who retire. There are too few candidates to study science at degree level, which creates a vicious circle as there are fewer graduates with the knowledge to be specialist science and maths teachers.

Though the actual numbers of teenagers taking sciences in England grew by 8% between 2005 and 2009, it fell as a proportion of the age group doing A-levels, the report says. The percentage of students taking other sciences, such as geology and electronics, declined slightly, from 1.6% of the total age group to 1.4%.

The report calls for the introduction of an "A-level based baccalaureate", which would allow teenagers to study more science and maths alongside other subjects.

Professor Athene Donald, chair of the Royal Society education committee, said: "At a time of economic uncertainty, when science and scientists can play a key role in revitalising the UK's financial outlook, it is deeply worrying to find that numbers of A-level science students are at such low levels.

"There can be no doubt that the lack of science and mathematics specialist teachers plays a significant role in the decline in participation in A-levels in these subjects."

The report also highlights gaps in the provision of science education at university level. "An A-level student who lives in Norwich and wants to study physics at university would have to travel to London to do so, or a similar distance," it says.

The government's white paper on schools, published last year, outlined plans to overhaul A-levels to provide "the depth of synoptic learning which the best universities value". Ministers have also introduced a new award at GCSE, the English bac, which will be given to students with good passes in a range of academic subjects including science.

Schools minister Nick Gibb said: "As other countries make vast improvements in science and maths education, the UK continues to fall down international league tables and we now languish at 27th in the world for maths, and 16th for science.

"The schools white paper reflects the importance this government attaches to these subjects by exploring ways in which to attract the best graduates in science and maths into the teaching profession as well as improving continued professional development for teachers of all subjects.

"We are already committed to looking at new ways to encourage the take-up of science qualifications, in particular physics, at all levels."

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